The two hundred years of the beginning of the Greek State through the revolution of 1821 was celebrated with a military parade that this year was different. 

Period costumes, calvary units, the banners of the revolution were trooped before the President and the Prime Minister, as well as foreign dignitaries like Prince Charles, the PM of Russia, and the Minister of Defense of France.

The last "touches" are coming for tomorrow's special military parade on March 25, which will take place without people this year due to the restrictive measures in force for the pandemic.

The clerical dilemma

The Turkish conquest of Greece in 1453 was a calamity. The best Greeks left the country for Europe. Resistance to the occupiers never ceased, though the Sultan gave the Orthodox clergy a privileged position. 

One of the best Greeks who left the country was Adamantios Koraes, 1748-1833. He worked in Paris -- far from his hometown of Smyrna and the Turks. He knew the double life  of the clergy.

In public, he expressed his respect for Orthodox Christianity and the clergy. A few times, however, he revealed his anger and lashed out at those of the senior ecclesiastics serving the Turks. He did that anonymously.